


Kevin Allen's Heroes

by writhedbeneath



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: AU, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-05
Updated: 2011-05-05
Packaged: 2017-10-19 00:51:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/195077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writhedbeneath/pseuds/writhedbeneath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin has two heroes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kevin Allen's Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> beta by idahophoenix

Kris is running late.

Which is really no different from most days. He's _always_ overbooked, too many things to do and not enough hours in the day. But today is different, today is for Kevin. There’s no chance Kris is gonna miss it, not when it’s the first time Kris has seen him this excited about anything since Christmas.

What was it again? A play maybe? No, the kindergarten class play had been in December, _The Tale of a Snowflake_ and Kris hadn't been able to get off of work for that, even though Kevin had a starring role as the Main Snowflakes best friend. Kris had arrived home that night to a very sad snowflake indeed, and swore to himself that in the future, he’d find a way to make it to these things, at least the big ones.

Maybe it was a show and tell? But Kevin would have definitely wanted to bring Zorro in for that. Had Kevin somehow snuck the dog into his book bag when Kris wasn't looking? Kris thinks he would have noticed that, but Kevin can be pretty sneaky when he wants to be, and Zorro is a pretty docile accomplice.

He tries to remember Kevin's happy chatter from that morning when he dropped him off at school, but his mind had been distracted, planning for his meeting at work, writing this week's grocery list in his head, trying to remember if he'd turned off the stove before he left the house...

But at least he made it this time, he half-heartedly congratulates himself. Even if he is already five...now eight, minutes late.

 _Shit_ he thinks to himself. _Real father of the year material here._

He finds Kevin's classroom, K-104, and peeks in the small glass window of the door before sliding it open as quietly as possible. There's a little girl at the front of the room, Kris thinks her name is Lisa...or maybe Lauren, and she's in some sort of deep, important discussion with Kevin's teacher, Mrs. Coy, who is fussing over a laptop on her desk. The children are sitting silently at their desks, hands clasped, but the grown-ups, sitting in the back of the room, are chatting in hushed tones. He spots Kevin in his usual seat, third row from the front, fidgeting anxiously. Kris waves at him when he looks up, and Kevin grins back at him, looking relieved.

Kris heads towards the back of the room, trying to find an opening in the rows of chairs

"Kris," someone whispers loudly, and Kris looks up in surprise to see Adam gesturing for him to join him.

"Saved you a seat," Adam smirks, and Kris shakes his head with a laugh at the child sized seat next to Adam.

"Couldn't save me a real one?" Kris whispers back, squeezing himself into the tiny plastic chair.

"That's what you get for being late," Adam grins back at him. "You know, actions have consequences, that's what you're always telling Kevin."

"It was his idea, wasn't it?" Kris shakes his head. "That kid--"

"He's the best isn't he?" Adam looks proud.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Kris asks.

Adam furrows his brow. "He asked me to come, last week. Didn't you know?"

Kris thinks he'd remember Kevin mentioning this, he probably would have told him not to bother Uncle Adam on a work day. But he's been so busy lately, so distracted...

"Sorry, I don't think...I mean it's great of you to come, but did you have to take off work for this?"

Adam waves his hand dismissively. "No big deal, I'd drop anything for that kid."

"Yeah," Kris smiles. He knows.

There’s a woman in red, sitting to Adam's right, and she looks at them pointedly. Kris thinks she's a second away from shushing them, and he feels oddly chastised in his tiny seat. She gestures towards the front of the room, where the little girl...Lisa, Kris is sure that’s her name, looks like she's about to speak. Mrs. Coy turns the laptop Kris had noticed earlier towards the room. The screen is now filled with a smiling man in army fatigues.

"My hero is my Daddy," Lisa says. "His name is Sergeant James Monroe. Hi Daddy!" She stands directly in front of the computer and waves towards him. The class laughs.

"Hey baby. Hey everyone," Sergeant James smiles at the room when she finally steps away.

"My Daddy lives in Iraq," she says, pronouncing it Eye-Rack. "He works for our country and protects us and saves people. He's been gone for...Mommy how long has Daddy been gone?"

"Almost two years," a woman sitting behind Kris calls out. He turns at the sound of her voice and smiles up at her.

"But he came home for Christmas!" Lisa says excitedly. "And he gave me a bike and I'm going to ride it as soon as I turn six. Right Daddy?"

"You bet baby doll, and I'm going to be there to teach you how," Sergeant James says, his voice breaking at the end. Kris looks down at his hands, his eyes watering a little.

"And that's why my Daddy is my hero," Lisa finishes, bowing dramatically.

Everyone claps, and Mrs. Coy takes a moment to thank the Sergeant for joining the class, and to shut off the computer.

"Well," Adam says, and Kris notices he looks a little choked up himself. "That was much better than the girl who went before her. Lucky you missed that one. Her hero was her goldfish."

Kris laughs, but stops quickly when the woman in red next to Adam glares at them.

“That was _my_ daughter,” she says accusingly.

"And it was just delightful," Adam turns to her, trying for a save. "It shows remarkable character really, loving a pet that much. Maybe she'll end up a marine biologist..."

She rises, still looking angry.

"Oh if you're leaving maybe my friend can--"

"I'm just going to the bathroom," she declares angrily, leaving her purse on her seat to save it.

As soon as she's out of earshot they turn to each other, cracking up.

"That _would_ happen to you," Kris laughs.

"Seriously though, a goldfish? These things are always the parents fault. Speaking of, what's Kevin’s?"

"I...I don't know," Kris bites his bottom lip guiltily. "I didn't even know what the theme was until five minutes ago."

Adam's eyes widen for a moment, but he covers it in a flash.

"I'm sure it'll be amazing, whatever it is." And he means it too, Kris knows that. Adam genuinely thinks Kevin is the greatest kid in the world.

"It really was good of you to come," Kris smiles back at him.

Adam just shrugs. "It seemed important to him. Ooh here, I think Kevin's next, come take my seat and I'll deal with purse lady when she comes back," Adam says, moving her purse into the child seat Kris had been sitting in.

Once they're settled, iPhone camera's poised in hand, they look to the front of the room, where Kevin stands staring back at them.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kevin Allen is nervous. Even scared, maybe.

He had been so excited for his heroes’ presentation; he has the best heroes in the world! He could talk about them for hours.

They are definitely better than Marie's goldfish Kiki. What's so great about a goldfish? It can’t even bark to tell you someone is coming or fetch a ball or anything. Even _a cat_ is better than a goldfish.

But then Lisa had gone, and...her hero was pretty great. Even Kevin had to admit that. A real life soldier? And he's her Daddy? And he looked really big and strong in his uniform.

Still, Kevin's heroes are pretty special, even if they weren't saving the world. And best of all, there are _two_ of them.

"My heroes," he begins, but his voice sounds funny, like the way frogs in cartoons sound. Billy Rau snickers at him and Kevin narrows his eyes in return. But then he looks up and sees his Daddy smiling and nodding at him, and then his Uncle Adam doing the same, and he feels better.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have two heroes," Kevin starts again. "My first hero is my Daddy. My Daddy takes care of me, all by himself. He goes to work every day and sometimes even on the weekends, so we have enough food and so I can go to school and have video games. My mommy went to live in heaven when I was a little baby, and I don't remember her, but my daddy always shows me her picture and tells me stories about her, and I like that."

Adam turns towards Kris with a proud smile as Kris wipes at his eyes. Adam wraps an arm around Kris's shoulders and pulls him closer to him for a moment, before pulling away as they turn their attention back to Kevin at the front of the room.

"He's the best daddy, and he helps me with my homework, even math and he hates math!"

"Mine too!" Marissa Kim calls out, and the parents laugh along with the kids.

Kevin waits a beat until the room is silent.

"My second hero is my Uncle Adam," he begins. Adam turns to look at Kris, surprised. Kris just shakes his head and smiles in return.

"He's not really my uncle, but I'm allowed to call him that 'cause Daddy says he's family. Uncle Adam is the coolest! He comes over all the time and he lets me climb on him and he gives me piggy back rides! And once he let me wear his leather jacket with the spikes on it, and last week he let me watch a scary movie even though Daddy said I wasn't allowed to--oh I forgot that was ‘sposed to be a secret."

It's Kris's turn to look at Adam in surprise, but Adam gives him a quick, innocent glance and turns back to Kevin who is still speaking.

"But most of all, he's the best uncle ever ‘cause he makes Daddy laugh and smile, even when he's sad. Daddy gets so happy when he comes over, and they stay up late talking. I can hear them laughing even after I go to sleep. And last year when Daddy was sick and had to go to the hospital, Uncle Adam came over and took care of me the whole time.

"Some of the people at our church don't like Uncle Adam, and it makes Daddy so mad! And not even mad like he gets when I don't do my homework. Like once, Daddy's Uncle Brian called Uncle Adam a bad bad word at Easter dinner, a word Daddy said you’re never ever supposed to say, and Daddy was so mad, he punched him! Just like people do on TV. Even though he says you're not supposed to hit people no matter how mad they make you."

Kris shakes his head in awe, and whispers "I had no idea he was going to say all this..."

Adam doesn't turn to look at him, just wipes quickly at his eyes, and puts his arm around Kris's shoulders again, pulling him in close.

"It's just…he’s just the sweetest kid,” Adam whispers back, his voice choked with emotion.

"And once a lady from church told Daddy that men aren't supposed to hug the way Daddy and Uncle Adam do,” Kevin continues, excitedly, "even though that's stupid because everybody likes hugs, and I hug my dog and he's not even a human. But Daddy and Uncle Adam, they hug all the time, they don't care what people say. See they're even hugging now!"

The room is silent for a moment, filled only with the sound of chairs screeching as people turn to get a better look. Startled, Adam almost pulls his arm away, suddenly feeling very much on display, but Kris puts a hand on his knee and leans in closer.

"Daddy says that someday," Kevin continues, "When I grow up, I'll want to hug and kiss somebody, like people do in the movies. And that it doesn't even matter if it's a boy or a girl who I want to do that with. I don't know about all that, but I'm glad my Daddy has that with my Uncle Adam. And that's why they are my heroes."

"Thank you Kevin Allen, for that very enthusiastic presentation," Mrs. Coy says in her honey soft voice. But she's looking at Kris and Adam with a knowing smile and a glint in her eye.

The children and parents clap politely and Kevin beams at them, pleased.

"I think," Kris mutters, finally pulling away from Adam. "I'm going to have to have a talk with him when we get home."

"Right," Adam says, looking straight ahead.

"I just don't know where he got the idea that--"

"It was sweet though," Adam says, a soft smile on his lips. "Really sweet."

"Yeah," Kris agrees, looking down at hands.

They watch the rest of the presentations in silence, not daring to look at each other, to even move, until the purse lady returns. Adam's mind elsewhere, he doesn't even notice her, so Kris quickly shifts down into the child's seat. With the woman sitting in between them, he chances a glance at Adam, but he can’t quite read the expression on his face.

 

~~~~~~~~

"No dessert till you finish those carrots," Kris says, pushing the paper plate back in front of Kevin, who gives a dramatic sigh before picking his fork up again.

"So then what happened?" Kris asks, watching Kevin make a pained face as he finishes the last of his carrots.

"Then Tommy had to sit in the time out corner when we had coloring time. I love coloring time Dad, it's my favorite. No, no wait, I didn't mean it, 'cause story time is my favorite."

Kris smiles and clears their plates, pulling out the ice cream for dessert.

"Chocolate Dad," Kevin reminds him, kicking his sneaker clad feet against the breakfast bar happily.

"So," Kris says after a moment, trying for casual and watching Kevin's face carefully. It's already half covered in chocolate sauce. "I really loved your presentation today."

"Uh huh," Kevin says through a mouthful of ice cream.

"And Uncle Adam loved it too."

Kevin smiles and takes another bite.

"But I...we just wanted to make sure you understand."

When Kevin gives him a blank look Kris continues.

"It's just...there are lots of different ways to love people. You know that right? Like, you love me, and you love Zorro, and you love your friend Mikey from summer camp...and those are all different kinds of love."

Kevin furrows his brow in confusion and Kris can't help but smile. When he was just a baby, after Katy died, Kris had hoped he'd look like her. But from the start he was like a miniature Kris, right down to the unruly mop of brown hair. Sometimes the faces he makes, especially when he’s frustrated or confused, brings him right back to Katy. It used to hurt to see it, used to remind him too much of what he lost, but somewhere along the way it stopped hurting and just made him smile.

"What I mean is...the way mommies and daddies love each other...or the way sometimes two mommies or two daddies..."

Kris stops, flustered. He takes Kevin's now empty ice cream bowl to the sink, and dampens a paper towel to wipe his messy face with. Kevin squirms a little but lets him, and then wipes the wetness away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Sometimes you love someone like a friend," Kris continues, sitting down next to him again, "and sometimes you love them like more than a friend."

"But you said Uncle Adam is more than a friend, that he's family--"

"And he is," Kris reassures him when Kevin looks worried. "He's very important to us, and we're important to him too. But when you love someone, someone you want to marry, it's different."

"How come?" Kevin asks. It's rare for Kris to get him to concentrate on anything for this long at a time, and Kris wants to make sure he gets this right.

"Well, for starters, when you love someone like a husband or wife, you want to do things like hug and kiss them all the time--"

"But you and Uncle Adam hug and kiss," Kevin interrupts. "I see you."

"That's true," Kris says patiently.

"You kiss here," Kevin reaches his little arm up and brushes his fingers against Kris's forehead, then his cheek. "Is it 'cause you don't kiss on the lips like they do on TV?"

"That's part of it," Kris nods.

"So are all the people on TV married?" Kevin asks.

"No," Kris shakes his head. He's starting to wonder why he thought it was so important that Kevin understand this. Maybe he'd already had it right, love is love, and the details don't matter that much.

"It's not just about kissing, it's about...when you love someone like that, just being around them makes you smile." But Kris realized, when he thought of Adam's face, or heard the ring that meant it was Adam calling, he always smiled. Bad example.

"When you love someone like that, you just want to be around them..." Kris faltered again. "You know you can count on them for anything..."

"But Daddy, Uncle Adam always makes you smile, and--"

"I know buddy," Kris says with a sigh. "But, it's more than...you think that person is...attractive, and you--"

"You don't think Uncle Adam is handsome?" Kevin asks, eyes wide in surprise.

"No, of course I do, I think he’s..." Kris falters again. "I think he's beautiful."

Kevin nods, stretching himself across the breakfast bar to reach his coloring book and box of Crayola’s. "Laura Bini's mom said he looked like a movie star."

Kris chuckles softly. "She said that today?"

"Yep, she said she wanted his number."

"She...what?" Kris tries to recall her face, any conversations they might have had. "But Lisa Bini's parents aren't divorced."

"She wanted it for her brother," Kevin shrugs, coloring a tree orange.

"She WHAT?" Kris asks, suddenly alarmed. "Kev, buddy, you didn't give Adam's number to anybody did you?" Kris knows Kevin can dial the phone, and he's got Adam's number memorized. It's one of the people he's supposed to call right away if anything ever happens and Daddy isn't there. And there was one time he found Kevin tucked up in his bed, half asleep, Kris's cell phone in hand and Adam's voice on the other end, softly lulling Kevin with a bedtime story.

"No, Daddy."

"Good, good," Kris mutters, thinking he really needs to give Mrs. Bini a call. And just who is this brother she wants to set Adam up with?

"She said it was in case you and Uncle Adam don't work out, and when I asked her what's that mean she said if you stop being friends, but she did this with her fingers," Kevin holds up his fingers, rabbit ear style and emulates the air quotes Mrs. Bini must have made when calling Kris and Adam "friends", "and I got mad and said that wouldn't never happen."

"Right, you were right. That's never going to happen," Kris says firmly.

"So, okay, good talk," Kris mutters, more to himself than Kevin.

Kevin looks happy and content, coloring the leaves of his tree bright purple. But Kris feels unexpectedly confused and flustered, his face hot and flushed.

"Can we go watch TV now Dad?"

~~~~~~~

Their nighttime routine is Kris's favorite part of the day. He watches Kevin brush his teeth, making sure he does it for at least a full minute (he always tries to get away with less), then it's time for bed and the bedtime story of Kevin's choice.

Lately he's been on a Disney kick, though he's been begging Kris to read him Harry Potter. Most nights, he wants Kris to tell him a story about his mom, about what she was like as a kid, or their wedding, anything to know more about her.

Tonight he asks for something new.

"Tell me about how we met Uncle Adam," he asks, his eyes already half-lidded with sleep.

Kris grins and lies down next to Kevin on the bed, tucking a Simba-covered pillow behind his head. Even though the bed is tiny, Kris fits comfortably next to his son. Kevin rests his head on Kris's chest, and Kris begins to speak.

"We met your Uncle Adam when you were just a baby. I used to drive you around, 'cause it helped you fall asleep, and if the car stopped moving you'd scream your little head off. But one night, the car stalled, that old thing--"

"The red car," Kevin mumbles, eyes closed.

"You remember that car?" Kris asks, surprised. He'd gotten rid of it two years ago; Kevin must have seen pictures of it or something. "Yeah, it was the red one. So I pulled over to the side of the road. I couldn't even take you out of your car seat, 'cause it was raining. So you were crying, and I didn't know what to do. My phone wasn't getting a signal and we were stranded, I don't even know what part of LA we were in.

"I kept waiting for someone to pull over and help us, even tried to flag down a few cars, but nobody stopped. And then, finally, this shiny black car pulled up, and out stepped Adam. He looked like an action figure come to life, like one of your toys. He was so tall and the way he was dressed...I'd never seen anybody dressed like that outside of the movies. He must have been on his way somewhere important, I don't think I ever even asked him. But whatever it was, he didn't seem to mind. He called a tow truck, and he waited with us, and then he drove us home, and he spent the rest of the night with us. He didn't even get upset when you spit up on his shirt. So that's how we met Uncle Adam, when he rescued us."

Kris smiles at the memory. He can hear from Kevin's deep even breathing that he's fast asleep.

"And I think he's been rescuing us ever since," Kris whispers to himself.

He slips out of the bed gently, and presses a kiss to Kevin's forehead before turning off the ceiling light and turning on the small nightlight by the door.

He's halfway down the stairs when he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket. He feels guilty for hoping it's not his mom, but the last few times they spoke, she'd felt the need to give him one of her "talks."

There's the "Six Year Talk" ("Kristopher, it's been six years, don't you think it's time you and Kevin came home? It's not right, that boy growing up so far away from his family") and the "Five Year Talk" ("Kris, honey, it's been five years, don't you think it's time you at least consider seeing someone? Katy wouldn't want you to be alone the rest of your life. Now I know a nice young lady who just moved out to California to get her Masters, why don't I give you her number?").

Kris loves his mom, but man, he hates the talks.

He can't help but smile when he pulls the phone out and sees the caller ID.

"Hey," he says softly, settling down into an overstuffed armchair in the living room.

"Hey," Adam echoes. Something in his voice sounds different, but Kris isn't sure what to make of it. "I was just calling to say goodnight."

Kris can't remember how this tradition began, but at some point, they ended up calling or at least texting every night, just to check in at the end of the day.

"It's only 8:30 Grandpa," Kris laughs.

"I'm actually heading out someplace."

"Oh," Kris sits up, suddenly tense. "Are you driving right now? It's so late."

"You just said it's only 8:30." Kris can hear the smile in Adam's voice.

"Right, I guess I'm just not used to...so you going to a club or something? Some new place with Brad or Alisan?"

"Actually, I've...I've got a date."

"Oh," Kris says again. "You didn't mention anything." His voice sounds accusatory, even to his own ears.

"It's no big deal, just, you know. My mom's been nagging me about it. She keeps reminding me I'm almost 30, like I could forget. Anyway, I let her set me up with this guy; I don't even know what he looks like. It'll probably be awful. Blind dates, ugh, the worst."

"Yeah, the worst," Kris agrees absently. "Well, have fun, I'll talk to you--"

"Wait," Adam interrupts. "Don't hang up yet, is Kevin in bed already?"

"He's out like a light," Kris says, trying to keep his voice even.

"Shit, I wanted to tell him how much I loved his speech today. Well give him a big hug for me when he wakes up and tell him I love him?"

"Of course," Kris answers quickly. He already feels bad for feeling...angry? Disappointed? Whatever it is he's feeling about Adam having a date. "Listen, I hope you have a good time. Not every blind date turns out to be a serial killer you know."

"Ha," Adam laughs. "I hadn't considered that, but thanks, now I'll be looking out for sharp objects."

"Well, text me when you get in, either way," Kris says. "No matter how late. If I don't hear from you I'll know to call the cops."

"Funny. Well, I'm here now, so I should go. G'night."

"Night," Kris says softly.

After that, he can't sit still. The TV is no distraction, and he practically wears a hole in the living room rug pacing back and forth. He wishes he could go for a run, do something to get his mind off this.

It's not like Adam hasn't had boyfriends since they've known each other. So why is it bothering Kris now?

Maybe it's because they were always guys Adam met at some club, most of the time he didn't even feel the need to mention them to Kris until it was over. This was...a real proper date. Set up by his mother, who Kris adored. Leila was like a surrogate mom to him, and treated Kevin like he was part of her own family. Leila and Adam were half the reason Kim accepted Kris and Kevin living in LA at all. Begrudgingly accepted, but still. Leila loved Kris.

 _Traitor,_ he thinks now.

But, shit, that was wrong. That was...that was crazy. Adam should date. Adam should fall in love. Adam deserved that more than anybody. So what the heck was wrong with him, reacting like this?

 _Shit,_ he thinks. _I'm jealous._

His immediate next thought is _I need a drink._

~~~~~~~

  
Kris doesn't drink a lot, not since he had Kevin. But every once in a while, after a particularly stressful day or just to unwind, he'll have a glass of red wine.

Tonight, he drinks half a bottle. The buzz he feels is a nice distraction, making it easy to not think too hard, to not picture Adam sitting across from some gorgeous model (which honestly is probably more likely than not, they do live in LA and Adam does look like...Adam), reaching across the dinner table to hold his hand, getting down on one knee to propose...well maybe that last part is unlikely, but probably a kiss goodnight by the car, and maybe that kiss leads to another kiss...and suddenly Kris is feeling nauseous and he doesn't think it's from the wine.

He falls asleep like that on the living room couch, the flashing light from the TV, volume muted, giving the room a soft, eerie glow.

He wakes up to the feel of his phone vibrating against his hip.

It's Adam.

He shakes himself awake. It's only 11:30, he's been asleep about an hour and a half and he's still a little buzzed. He tries to pull himself together enough to answer before the buzzing stops.

"Hey," he whispers, throat dry and blood rushing to his head as he sits up too quickly.

"Were you sleeping?" Adam sounds concerned. "Shit I'm sorry I should have just texted you."

"No, no," Kris answers in a rush. "I'm glad you called."

"Are you sure? You should go back to bed--"

"No, don't be silly," Kris rises and heads towards the kitchen for a bottle of water. "It's not like I have to be up early tomorrow. Come on, you can tell me about your date, make my Friday night a little more exciting."

Adam laughs softly. "I'm home before midnight, I hope you're not looking for too exciting a story."

"Not good huh?" Kris asks, trying to not be happy about that as he takes a long gulp of water.

"It was fine," Adam responds. "Pleasant. He was actually really cute; my mom has pretty good taste."

"Oh," Kris answers stupidly, sitting back down on the couch and hugging his knees to his chest.

"You know you could make your Friday nights more interesting yourself. Get a babysitter, go on a date...instead of sitting home alone in the dark."

"I'm not sitting in the dark," Kris answers defensively, leaning over to turn on a lamp. "And, besides, we weren't talking about me, we were talking about you and your date. So, what's his name? Are you gonna see him again?"

Adam sighs, but doesn't speak. Kris doesn't know what to make of that, and waits, listening to the silence and Adam's breathing.

"Did you talk to Kevin?" Adam asks when he finally speaks again. "You know, about his thing today? You said you were gonna have a talk with him."

"Well, I tried, but it was...confusing."

"Confusing for him?"

"No," Kris laughs. "He didn't seem confused at all. It was...I was the one--"

"Kris, I--"

The sound of a car alarm going off outside startles Kris.

 _Shit_ he thinks _that better not wake Kevin up_.

"Adam, I can barely hear you this stupid car down the block, its alarm is always going off. No one is goin' to steal your 93 Miata buddy."

"Wait, Adam..." It takes Kris a moment to realize he hears the alarm not just through his window, but through the phone.

"Adam where are you?"

Adam doesn't speak, but Kris can still hear the sound of that damn alarm. Suddenly, it stops, and there's pure silence.

"Adam?"

"I'm outside your house."

Kris gets up, rushes to the front door and opens it quickly. Sure enough, there is Adam's car, half-hidden under the low-hanging Elm tree in front of Kris's house.

Adam just sits there for a moment, and Kris wonders if he's going to drive away. But a moment later, he gets out of the car and makes his way up the front steps to Kris's door.

"Hey," Kris says opening the screen door with a smile, and just like that, Adam's face lights up.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Coffee?" Kris asks, rubbing at his eyes.

Adam laughs softly. "Only you would offer me coffee at midnight."

"Oh, sorry, I just--" Kris begins.

"No, coffee would be great," Adam says quickly, and Kris wonders how things got so awkward all of a sudden.

Adam's been in Kris's living room a thousand times, fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie hundred times, fallen asleep with Kevin on top of him there at least a dozen times. But tonight, he sits awkwardly on the edge of the armchair, as if he doesn't know quite where he fits.

"Or we could have some wine?" He eyes the half-empty bottle on the coffee table quizzically.

"Oh, sure," Kris says, walking to the kitchen for a second wine glass. "You're driving right? But you can just spend the night here."

Adam looks up, eyes wide.

"I mean, on the couch. Or wherever. I mean--"

Adam laughs, and suddenly the tension breaks. He moves over to join Kris on the couch. "I know what you mean, Kris."

Kris sighs, relieved. He pours them each a half glass of the wine.

"So, dinner," he begins, trying for nonchalant. "Was it good?"

"I had the chicken," Adam shrugs. "Decent. Not as good as that place we went, with all the chandeliers? Remember that place? But I'd go back--"

"You know what I meant," Kris lightly digs his foot into Adam's thigh to punctuate his words. "How was the date?"

Adam takes a long slow sip of his wine, and leans all the way back, long legs sliding up the couch and resting besides Kris's. He turns halfway towards Kris, so the side of his head is resting against the edge of the couch, sleepy eyed.

"You know how you picture your life, when you're a kid? And you think you know exactly where you'll be, what your life will be like, when you're 25, when you're 30. And then you get there and it's like 'Oh this isn't at all what I imagined.'"

Kris nods, and Adam smiles sadly at him. "You of all people must know that feeling. But you know, it's not so bad? I realized that. That things didn't turn out the way I planned, but I actually kinda like the way they did."

“Do you remember the night we met?” Kris asks after a moment of silence. “Kevin asked me about it tonight. He wanted me to tell him the story."

Adam smiles at the memory. "You were such a sad sight, standing out in the rain, trying to wave someone down on Sunset."

"And you were the only Good Samaritan to even stop."

"Well you looked so cold, standing out there in your soaking wet t-shirt. And then I saw Kev, and that was the end of it. Two pairs of those big brown eyes looking at me all sad and scared? I was a goner."

"And you've been stuck with us ever since," Kris laughs. Adam leans his head back on the couch, closing his eyes, a soft smile on his lips.

"Can I ask you something?" Kris asks a moment later. Adam nods but doesn’t open his eyes. "Why were you sitting outside my house at midnight?"

Adam sits up quickly at that, grabbing the bottle of wine and refreshing his glass. He doesn’t respond.

"Adam, I--"

"What did you tell Kevin?" he asks suddenly, turning to Kris. He's moved closer, so their knees are touching, and Kris looks down to where Adam's hand is resting on his leg. It's habit, their kind of closeness. It's not something he ever questioned or even really noticed before.

"I told him that you were family," Kris begins, turning away from Adam's intense stare. "And that there are different ways to love people, and sometimes it gets confusing, because you can love someone one way and it seems like something else..."

"And did he understand that?" Adam asks, turning away.

"I don't think I even understood it," Kris murmurs.

"I should get going," Adam announces, standing up.

"Stay," Kris says softly. He reaches out for Adam's hand to keep him from moving, and Adam looks down at him questioningly. "I mean, would you stay?"

He sits down with a sigh, puts his head in his hands.

"I don't think this kind of thing happens," Adam says a moment later.

"What kind of thing?" Kris whispers, moving closer until his face is just inches away from Adam's. But Adam doesn't turn to look at him, just shakes his head slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"This, friends realizing there's something more after years and years..."

"Is that what this is?"

"Kris, I--" Adam begins, turning his face towards Kris, finally.

"Can I kiss you?" Kris asks quietly.

"It'll change everything," Adam whispers back. His eyes are shining, almost sparkling, Kris can’t tell if it’s from the wine or something else.

“I know,” Kris answers. His hand is already on Adam’s face, thumb following the line of his jaw, until his fingers are in Adam’s hair, his other hand on Adam’s broad shoulders, lifting himself up closer, until their lips almost touch. He waits for Adam to bridge the distance, for their lips to meet, for that moment he didn’t know he’d been hoping for.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kevin Allen is supposed to be sleeping.

His dad would be _so_ mad if he knew where he was.

He’d woken up from a bad dream, the one where he’s a clownfish like in Nemo, except there’s this scary shark that wants to eat him, and he always wakes up right when he gets into the shark’s stomach. If it wasn’t so scary he’d want to stay in there, ‘cause seeing the inside of a shark’s stomach sounds pretty cool.

Daddy doesn’t mind when Kevin comes to his bed after a bad dream, he lets him sleep there with him. But Daddy wasn’t in his bed, so Kevin had walked to the stairs, his favorite blanket trailing behind him.

And then he heard voices. It was Uncle Adam and Daddy and they were sitting on the couch. It seemed wrong to interrupt them, and Kevin was still really sleepy, so he just stayed at the top of the stairs and lied down, his blanket over him, and listened to the sound of their muffled voices for a while until he drifted back to sleep.

When he wakes up again, someone is carrying him to his room.

“Daddy?” he mumbles.

“No baby, it’s okay, it’s Uncle Adam, go back to sleep.”

“I had the bad dream again,” he whispers, his face pressed into Adam’s neck. “With the shark.”

Adam lays him gently on the bed, and pulls the covers up around him.

“Next time, when the shark is about to take a bite of you, you just laugh,” Adam whispers, his hand warm on Kevin’s forehead. “Then the shark will get scared and swim away.”

“You sure? He’s got really big teeth.”

“It always works in dreams,” Adam soothes. “G’night baby.”

Kevin fights to keep his eyes open, but they’re already half-closed when Adam gets to the door. He sees the shadow of his dad, reaching out his hand for Adam’s, and they stand in the doorway embracing for a moment. Kevin can see them in the soft glow of his nightlight, thinks he sees Uncle Adam lean down to kiss his dad. A real kiss, on the lips, just like the people on TV. Kevin usually thinks kissing like that is gross, but this time he doesn’t mind it so much.

“He’s gonna be so confused tomorrow,” Kris whispers to Adam, but there’s a laugh in his voice.

But Kevin isn’t confused at all.


End file.
